Clue in Banff, Alta. offers new hope for family of missing B.C. man

The mother of a missing British Columbia man has travelled to southern Alberta with renewed hope of finding her son following a clue that he may have visited the area.

Heather Lynskey’s son William was last seen in April 2017 when CCTV footage caught him boarding a Greyhound bus in Vancouver. Officers with Whistler RCMP say he checked in to the Century Casino and Hotel in Edmonton a day later. Two days after that, his cellphone briefly pinged near Calgary, but the phone hasn’t been active since.

William was 21 at the time of his disappearance and only six months away graduation at the British Columbia Institute of Technology

Lynskey says her son has not used his bank accounts or prepaid accounts at all in the 11 months he’s been missing. His social media accounts have also not been updated.

“It's just been a constant search and a constant worry and constant nightmares just with no answers and not one bit of information from anyone, anywhere,” Lynskey told CTV Calgary.

While Lynskey’s search has yielded few results, she’s recently been given new hope as cleaning staff at a shopping centre in Banff, Alta. found William’s driver’s licence lodged in the crack in a leather chair. The licence has reinvigorated Lynskey’s search, but she says cleaners found the piece of identification in the fall and Lynskey hadn’t found out about it until recently.

“It's the first and only sign we've had of my son possibly still being out there somewhere,” she said.

Lynskey is now in Banff plastering posters anywhere she can in hopes of landing more clues that lead to her son’s whereabouts. So far, she says, there have been a few leads, but nothing solid.

RCMP in Whistler say there isn’t any evidence to suggest foul play, but continue to investigate.

“We’re treating this as a serious missing person case,” said Const. Steve LeClair with Whistler RCMP. “My gut feeling is that he is travelling and we would like to get in touch with him to confirm his well-being.”

Officers describe William as Caucasian man with brown hair and hazel eyes. He was last seen with a beard and short hair. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call Whistler RCMP.

With a report from CTV Calgary’s Kevin Green

Photos

Willy Lynskey (photo supplied)

Heather Lynskey is in Banff following up on tips as she searches for her missing son, Willy